GIBRALTAR today

Carry on Tireless!

 
THE crippled British nuclear submarine stranded in Gibraltar for almost one year at the centre of a radioactive contamination row has been sent back to sea just four hours after returning to the Clyde naval base at Faslane.
   HMS Tireless, which limped into Gibraltar after a potentially disastrous leak was discovered in the coolant system, which keeps her nuclear reactor at a safe temperature, remained there amid mounting diplomatic protests from Spain while emergency repairs were carried out, reports the Glasgow Herald.
   She returned to the Clyde last week to new protests from Greenpeace and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, which claimed substantial and potentially dangerous engineering work was still to be done before Tireless could return to operational duty.
   The Herald learned that the boat had spent just enough time alongside to take on stores and extra crew before heading back down the river to begin working-up exercises.
   Only one of the navy's 12 nuclear-powered hunter-killer boats, HMS Triumph, is available for operations because the others are undergoing inspection and repairs for similar faults in their coolant systems.
   A spokesman for fleet headquarters at Northwood said: "Tireless will give us much-needed flexibility. Strategic deployments have not been affected, but we have only one boat on call. The others are expected to begin returning to action by the end of the summer."
   A Faslane spokesman said: "Tireless completed her repairs at Gibraltar. There is nothing sinister in her return to the Clyde or her rapid turnaround there. The waters off the west coast of Scotland are the finest training ground in the world for submariners. There is no conspiracy."
   The navy's intelligence-gathering capability has been severely curtailed since the coolant scare "grounded" virtually the entire fleet last year.
   The nuclear attack boats are fitted with an array of electronic masts alongside the periscope which can monitor foreign radar, radio and other communications from the concealment of coastal waters. At least two of the submarines are also equipped to land clandestine reconnaissance parties from the Royal Marines' Special Boat Squadron, says the report.(20.05.01)

NEWS FLASH: Gibraltar plans referendum on self-determination  

  Gibraltar is considering whether to hold a referendum on self-determination, which is bound to cause ripples of anxiety in London and Madrid. The plan is being put together in the all-party talks on constitutional reform.
   The select committee of the House of Assembly, Gibraltar's parliament, which includes members from the government and the labour/liberal opposition alliance, are considering changes to the present constitution, which dates to 1969. The select committee is chaired by chief minister Peter Caruana and includes two other ministers; the opposition is represented by socialist leader Joe Bossano and liberal party leader Dr Joseph Garcia.
   The question before the committee is whether to hold a referendum on self-determination before submitting the final constitutional proposals to London or whether to hold a referendum on the final proposals only which, themselves, would advocate the application of self-determination to Gibraltar.
   The government and opposition want to have public support for their proposals "given the threats from Sr Pique (the Spanish foreign minister) and the warnings from Mr Cook (the UK foreign secretary)", Bossano said in a Spanish radio interview with 'Cadena Cope'.
   The opposition leader disclosed that Britain has already rejected a draft constitutional text, submitted in 1998, which included the right to self-determination on the grounds that this would provoke the Spanish government, which claims the sovereignty of Gibraltar.
   Gibraltar lost Spain nearly 300 years ago, which has given rise to an ethnic Gibraltarian population which sees its future linked to Britain. Gibraltar is part of the European Union with Britain. 
   But Bossano has confimed that they would like the reerendum to be held this year and is convinced that the Gibraltarians would back the concept of Gibraltar being a non-colonial country, voluntarily associated with the United Kingdom. (19.05.01)

Government and union accused of encouraging Moroccan disunity 

 The Independent Liberal Forum calls on Government and the TGWU to stop encouraging division and disunity among the Moroccan community in Gibraltar.
     In a Press statement today, the party says:"Whilst we have always supported the coming together of all representatives of the Moroccan community in Gibraltar in order to make their just demands more clearly known to Gibraltar at large, we note with much regret that both Government and the District Officer of the TGWU are consistently undermining the unity of Moroccan workers in Gibraltar.
    "It is high time that Messrs Montiel and Caruana stopped singing from the same song sheet and instead learnt a few lessons in harmony. On the one side because no institution can be democratic if some of its members are left unconsulted and unattended to in the Union because of the whim of the District Officer, and on the other side because no Government can be in any sense "social" or "democratic" if it refuses to listen to all its social players and deals, instead, on a basis of favouritism instead of even-handedness.
    "The I.L.F. continues to support the Moroccan community in its struggle for just treatment and very much hopes the Moroccan Workers Association and the Moroccan Community Association will be able to work together for their joint cause. This Party will always be willing and able to act as mediators in the peaceful resolution of disputes within the Moroccan community."(18.05.01)

Party vacancies filled in by new young members, says Bossano

  GSLP leader Joe Bossano says that the vacancies in their executive committee have now been filled by ew, young members "and I am sure we will continue to go from strength to strength."

  It follows the resignation of Daniel Feetham, preceded by two other committee members last month. Feetham has published a long letter he sent to Bossano in April and Bossano has followed up by publishing his reply.

  In another development,Bossano says that he told Feetham last week that he was not prepared to give private commitments which contradicted his public position.  Prior to the last general meeting in March, Feetham asked Bossano for his support in nominating him as a candidate for the executive "in the knowledge of what my position was."

  "Mr Feetham's participation in the GSLP has consisted in his attendance at 3 executive committee meetings, at the third of which he has resigned," said the GSLP leader today. (18.05.01) 

Exchange of letters

Hypocrisy charge precedes another hospital complaint

  As the Government was accusing the Opposition of political hypocrisy and opportunism, the Opposition have come forward with details of another complaint about the hospital.

  In their statement, the Government says that the opposition's statement relating to the death of a 16-year old "shows a staggering degree of political hypocrisy and opportunism."

  On the one hand they say that they do not wish to pre-empt the results of the post-mortem and then proceed to do so.

  "The opposition's apparent concern is not so well founded in political sincerity that they are willing to risk incurring the displeasure of health Authority staff," says the Government, adding that perhaps opposition health spokesman Mari Montegriffo thinks that ministers personally deliver medical care in our hospital."

  The Government adds that if culpability is shown on the part of the health Service, they will act swiftly.

  Meanwhile, Ms Montegriffo in another statement later today speaks of another incident, that of "a very distressed in-patient" who rang them up complaining that he was being discharged from Napier ward.

  He explained his medical condition and the problems he has in returning home.  "He has also informed us that he had been told that if he did not leave the hospital, instructions  had been issued that no medication and no food would be supplied to him," said the opposition.

  This procedure, they add, is incompatible with he charter of the health Authority and the minister Dr Linares should look immediately into this case.

  Ms Montegriffo adds: Rather than sending a patient home or threatening him, the logical thing to do is to involve our social workers, with a view to try and solve the patient's problems, before he is treated in this outrageous and inhumane manner." (18.05.01) 

Mounting complaints about health service, says opposition

The Government refuse to make themselves accountable and continue with their policy of brushing under the carpet all the mounting complaints there are today about the health service, says an opposition statement today.

  The labour/liberal alliance refer to the 16-year old who died this week in hospital. "The opposition would firstly like to express its most sincere condolences to he relatives of the 16-year old patient, who unfortunately passed away last Tuesday at St Bernard's Hospital," says the statement.

  It goes on: This is now the second occasion a patient admitted for specific medical condition has died from apparently different causes. However, the opposition does not have any wish to pre-empt the results of the post-mortem.

  "What we find moist worrying is the fact that in the whole history of our health services, it is difficult to remember situations of this nature happening so soon one after the other," they add.

  These incidents only serve to lower the morale of our medical and nursing professions, especially if the Government refuse to make themselves accountable and continue with their policy of brushing under the carpet all the mounting complaints there are today with regard to our health services, says the statement.

  It adds: "We have continuously warned the Government of the very evident deterioration in our health services and of the numerous complaints we receive on a weekly basis." (17.05.01) 

New Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe: full report

The Archbishop of Canterbury along with the Bishop of London and the Bishop of the Lusitanian Church in Portugal, have appointed the Right Revd. Geoffrey Rowell to be the next Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe.

The Archbishop said: "Dr Rowell is a well known scholar, teacher and pastor and he has much to offer the many and scattered congregations in the diocese in Europe. I know they will receive him with warmth".

Bishop Rowell is currently Suffragan Bishop of Basingstoke in the Diocese of Winchester.

The Constitution of the Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe states that the Bishop of the Diocese shall be appointed by a panel made up of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London and an Episcopal member of the Anglican Consultative Council.

The Crown Appointments Commission sits as a Special Appointments Commission to recommend candidates to the panel, after consultation.
FULL DETAILS
The Rt. Revd. Dr. Geoffrey Rowell (58), Suffragan Bishop of Basingstoke, is to be the next Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe. He succeeds the Rt.Revd. John Hind who has been appointed Bishop of Chichester and will take up his new post in the autumn.

Bishop Geoffrey’s ministry to date has been characterised by pastoral care, theology and teaching (he is a distinguished church historian) and contributions to improving relations between the Churches.

As Chaplain, Fellow and Tutor at Keble College Oxford from 1972 – 1994, he had pastoral responsibility not only for the students and staff but also for clergy in the 67 parishes for which the college is the patron. As Bishop of Basingstoke, he has pastoral care of 125 clergy and their families in North Hampshire. From 1997 he has chaired the Churches Group on Funeral Services at Cemeteries and Crematoria.


Bishop Geoffrey is a major player in building relations with other Churches. He has been a member of the Anglo-Oriental Orthodox International Forum since 1985 and co-chairman since 1996. He is also a member of the newly constituted Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations. His present Diocese of Winchester has historic links with Stavanger in Norway and he was instrumental with others in creating a twinning link with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Florence in Italy.

As a theologian Bishop Geoffrey served on the Liturgical Commission from 1981-91 and became a member of the Doctrine Commission in 1991. He is also a member of the House of Bishops’ Theological Group and the Working Party on Women and the Episcopate.

He said of his appointment "It is an honour and a privilege to have been asked to become the new Bishop in Europe. I look forward to building strong pastoral links with the many chaplaincies spread over the enormous area which makes up the Diocese, and to the many opportunities to work with our ecumenical partners of many different Christian traditions. I am both humbled and excited by the prospect of this new ministry, and hope that I will be able to bring to it the fruits of many years of teaching, of work with young people, of ecumenical friendship and more recently of the many aspects of a bishop’s work in my native North Hampshire. I know that in being asked to succeed John Hind I will be able to build on the firm foundation he has laid in many areas, and I ask the prayers of the Diocese as I begin my ministry in the autumn."

An ardent traveller he claims to have visited most European countries. He is off to Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Xinjiang for his holidays. He also relaxes by listening to music, reading poetry and is a prolific writer.

In 1633 the English congregations on the Continent were placed under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of London. The Diocese of Gibraltar was formed subsequently in 1842, and in 1883 the Bishop of London appointed a Suffragan Bishop, the Bishop of Fulham, to care for the chaplaincies and congregations in Northern and Central Europe.

From 1970 the Diocese of Gibraltar and the Northern and Central parts of Europe were cared for by a single bishop, designated the Bishop of Fulham and Gibraltar. In 1980, a single diocese was created called the Diocese in Europe. 

The Diocese covers the whole of continental Europe and includes Morocco. The 288 congregations are cared for by 135 clergy, some of whom are full-time, others part-time and some retired. (17.05.01)

New Olsen cruise ship to call at Gibraltar and Malaga

A new cruise ship in the Fred Olsen lines will be calling at Gibraltar next November.

    After an extensive refit to convert the ship into Fred. Olsen colours, Braemar will be in Dover from Monday August 6 for a programme of travel trade ship visits before embarking on her inaugural 13-night cruise to Scandinavia on August 11. 

    The 7-Night Iberian cruise departs Southampton on November 8, travelling via Lisbon, Cadiz, Casablanca and Gibraltar to dock in Malaga. She will be based there from November 15 for a programme of fly/cruises of the Eastern Mediterranean and Canaries, until her Christmas Caribbean cruise departs Malaga for Barbados on December 19.(17.05.01) 

Ceremonial changing of the guard on Saturday

  A ceremonial guard mount outside the residence of the Governor will take place on Saturday at noon.

  Members of 'G' company of the Royal Gibraltar regiment will provide the old and new guards. The guard commander for both guards will be Lieut Darren McCombe.

  The Governor David Durie will take the salute from the Convent balcony.

  The band and drums of the regiment will be providing the musical accompaniment. (17.05.01) 

Cammell Laird's Gibraltar yard in management buyout

  The Gibraltar yard of UK shipbuilders Cammell Laird is the subject of a management buyout.

  PwC, the receiver to Cammell Laird, expects to complete the sale of the Gibraltar yard to a management buyout team by the end of this week, says a report in the Financial Times.

  When the receivers were called in last month, Cammell Laird (Gibraltar)Ltd issued a brief statement which said: "Please be advised that Cammell Laird (Gibraltar) does not have any cross guarantees with its holding company and therefore is NOT in receivership, we will therefore continue with business as usual."

  Receivers were called in in the UK following a series of events that caused "significant damage to the trading and financial position of the group", said the company at the time, adding that "Undoubtedly, the biggest impact on the deterioration in the group's position was the Costa Classica contract dispute.  The contract involved a £50m lengthening of a cruise ship." The contract was subsequently terminated. (16.05.01) 

Hospital shock: 16-year old boy dies

  Gibraltar was shocked as a 16-year old boy dies in hospital yesterday.

  Mark Olivares had been admitted to St Bernard's Hospital on Monday night complaining about abdominal pains.  The next day he died.

  This sudden death, which is to be the subject of an inquest, was a talking point at the hospital, as word spread to patients and visitors alike. (16.05.01) 

GSLP committee member resigns

  Daniel Feetham, a member of the GSLP committee, today resigned, not unexpectedly.

  He had been expected to take a decision following the resignations of Charlie Bishop and Jimmy Wahnon. Feetham, who aligned himself with the other two, said he would first attend a meeting of the party before taking a final decision.

  Following the meeting last week, the executive committee voted to accept the resignations of Bishop and Wahnon, as reported by us. Feetham, who attended the meeting, has been consulting different people before deciding today.

  Feetham joined the committee of the party earlier this year. (16.05.01)

Woman driver takes wrong turning to Gibraltar!

  A mother of three, nipping over from Britain to Calais for a day trip, says she took the wrong turning - and ended up in Gibraltar!

  Vivienne Vanderwait-Hudson says she panicked when she could not find anywhere to run around. She drove down the French motorway, into Spain and finally Gibraltar.

  She had intended to buy some cheap cigarettes and alcohol for a friend. Instead, "I kept on, hoping there would be a gap on the road for me to turn around." She says she gets very scared of driving.    Eventually, her boyfriend flew out to join her. (16.05.01) 

Newspaper bicentenary: The editors meet 

In the bicentenary issue of today's Gibraltar Chronicle, its editor Dominique Searle is interviewed by PANORAMA editor Joe Garcia as follows:-


It is important for any newspaper to reach its bicentenary. When this happens in a place of minuscule proportions like Gibraltar, with obvious limitations on market potential and resources, the importance heightens. It is a landmark in Gibraltar journalism. The Chronicle stands today on the threshold of a new dawn, seeking financial support from the Government to survive. But throughout most of its history, it has been something of a strange animal, conceived by the military and kept under their tutelage deep into the dying days of the 20th century.

I asked its editor Dominique Searle: Viewed from a modern journalistic standpoint, how does it strike you when you think of the years of military control of the paper?

He replied: "I am not embarrassed by them. I think they reflect the history that affected us all. The Chronicle is the oldest newspaper here, but not the first Gibraltarian newspaper, in the sense that, in difficult circumstances, others gave Gibraltar a 'local' press such as El Calpense, El Anunciador and others. Whilst the military and indeed the early governors had direct control over the Chronicle, the evolving Gibraltarian population was subject to pressures when it tried to express itself in alternate media. So there has been a struggle for democracy. Those who pretend that we have been democratic for 300 years are wrong. It is interesting to compare a Republican Spain, for instance, with a colonial Gibraltar." 

He went on: "The important thing is that the Chronicle has managed to evolve and, rather than die with the MOD, has become a truly local paper without simply swapping the British establishment for local establishment. My father and Francis Cantos after him played an important role in putting civilian interests first and then Gibraltarian interests ahead of that." On the other hand, it was thanks to the military initiative that the Chronicle was born - how much did survival depend on the military connection that spanned most of the paper's history? 

I asked him about this, and he said: "It's a bit of a myth. To be fair to the Chronicle as a true newspaper and to the printing works, they were a source of income for the Garrison Library even though the printing works sometimes carried the newspaper just as the newspaper now carries the printing works. Although it was used by the British establishment to influence local opinion - or equally steer people away from real events - the fact remains that it paid its way, sometimes more profitably than at other times. It was a total abuse that, having recognised through sheer democratic pressure that it was a real anachronism for the military to own the only daily newspaper at the end of the 20th century, the Garrison Library actually sold the newspaper to the trust which now owns it. It should have been directly transferred and funded."

THE PAST AND THE PRESENT

But those were difficult times in a journalistic sense: Military men and journalists are not exactly birds of a feather. The paper was censored and subject to curtailment of freedom to publish what the editors may have wanted. 

How do you compare the past with the present? "It's shocking when one comes across papers from the 1940s stating in blunt terms that the newspaper must not get involved in local affairs and must not upset Spain. Fortunately, the history of this process is well recorded in the minutes of the Garrison Library. The only containment today is the obligation to be fair, not just under journalistic convention, but as enshrined in the Charter of the newspaper set up in 1996 when we separated. That was based on the Irish Times model and was obviously intended to reassure the public and politicians that the newspaper, having achieved journalistic independence through its journalists, would not suddenly steer into a partisan or private control."

He added: "We are very free to report and, I think, the only issue of censorship in Gibraltar today is the same one that exists in the west generally - the struggle with economic, intellectual and personal considerations. The key issue is that, with the principles of the Charter in mind, loyalty must ultimately be to the reader, to keeping them informed and not to serving some other interest."

The struggle with economic considerations. That is what he said. Indeed, the economic viability of newspapers in a limited market can be problematic. Here we have the Chronicle as a newspaper interwoven with the Chronicle as a general printer.

I asked: How have you fared?

He replied: "The project, to move into the open border era and expand the newspaper and its commercial content, was generally successful for the newspaper. As a printing company and as a whole, we have had difficult, even critical times from that same period, for various reasons, including the limited investment in the printing works over many decades, the changes in that printing market - especially large printing works competing in Spain - and the relative increase in labour costs as a against the mass availability of cheap pre-press in the form of computers, software and communications. As a company our main objective must be to diversify and expand overall production. But as I said the newspaper, looked at in isolation in an accountants analysis, is a profitable enterprise."

COMMENT IS FREE; FACTS ARE SACRED

Comment is free; facts are sacred, said a famous editor. I put it to Dominique: You used to describe yourself as the paper with no political bias, then to the indepedent paper. What do you say to those who think you are biased? What do you mean by independent newspaper?

Came the reply: "These words mean different things at different times. Essentially, as I understand it, the 'no political bias' slogan was adopted to state that the newspaper did not support any particular local political party. That slogan actually marked the increasing involvement of the newspaper in local politics. In ceasing to ignore local politics, it felt it had to stand above this. At the same time, in the broad sense of politics - which extends to every facet of life - I would say that if you are alive and thinking you must also be biased. Biased towards democracy or biased in your view of gender or anything else. Put another way, we can only reflect the thinking of our times and, in a newspaper, the general thinking of the journalists."

He explained: "Because the slogan 'no political bias' became misunderstood or deliberately misinterpreted, I chose to use the word 'independent'. At the same moment I also tried to articulate the Charter's requirement that opinion be clearly separated from fact. If one of my journalists felt strongly about an issue, or indeed a member of the public, they could use the opinion column. The news reports should be restricted to professional reporting, free from trying to steer particular personal standpoints. We strive to reflect the views of this community." What about working in a small-town environment, do you find you are constrained in your reporting? "Not especially, " he said. "I think one has to be more sensitive. In Britain one might get more involved in personal tragedies then we would, not to mention scandal! But, overall, because of the unique political make-up and circumstance of Gibraltar we have in our press generally a fairly elevated level of debate. But one does occasionally meet the subjects of unflattering articles face to face, more often than in most places."

What are the major problems you face in a day-to-day situation?

"I would say that the biggest problem is probably that there is a contradiction between the size or limits to our circulation and the scale of the reader's expectation on content. By that I mean that, compared to newspapers of similar size and responsibilities, we are understaffed. But, for reasons of economy, we could never match the level of journalistic resources that, say, Europa Sur has at its disposal. That said, I think we do extremely well."

What are the positive aspects of your work-day?

"I most enjoy being taken over by a good story. Nothing is better than being able to focus your day on one major challenge. But often one has to operate constantly hopping from the mundane to the sublime, you know what its like - desperately trying to retrieve a crossword grid from the computer and seconds later being called by the Chief Minister about a serious issue and, just as you are focused on this, somebody marches in demanding that you read their five page letter on the spot! But all of us at the Chronicle are addicted to the daily deadline."

As someone who has done much research into old newspapers, it has always been clear to me that there are English-language papers which are older than the Chronicle, tracing their history to the 1700s. And we should not forget equally historic papers in other languages. At 200, the Chronicle is certainly old!

I said: You have rightly ceased to call yourself the second oldest newspaper in the world, and different derivations of such a myth - how do you describe yourself today within the age context?

This was the reply: "Well, my answer is simply that we have pedigree. We started as a weekly, we only ceased publication for a few weeks when half the printers died from yellow fever. We have not, for instance, ceased publication as The Times did. If someone tells me we are the oldest, or second oldest I know that that analysis depends on the criteria applied - continuous publication, English as opposed to American, national or regional, newspaper or advertiser. But bicentenaries do not happen every day or even every decade. Its ours now. The most important thing is that we are older than most local institutions and this record elevates the image of Gibraltar abroad - we have been able to sustain the demand for news for 200 years. That counts for something."

A MOMENT OF GREAT PRIDE

Indeed. It must be a moment of great pride to be the editor of a paper that reaches its bicentenary, I told him. It is something very few journalists are able to experience. How do you feel -and how do you see the future developing from this historic juncture?

Dominique sipped some water. He then said: "Panorama, and just recently El Pais, have celebrated 25 years. These are no less important dates since they represent distinct journalistic objectives. But the opportunity to be at the helm on May 15 2001 has been a privilege. I think that sense of pride is reflected in the booklet we have produced to mark the occasion. I was moved seeing the coin that was produced. But most of all it is the sense that the Chronicle now belongs to Gibraltar and that it has become part of our heritage in a living way."

His last words confimed that he probably loves newspapers more than jazz: "The future is something, Joe, that both you and I must ponder. Is it important to race with the information waterfall created by the internet? We seem to forget that radio still remains a more direct and ubiquitous media. Or do we focus even more deliberately on good journalism, good analysis and more relevance to our readers? That surely must be the way ahead. A newspaper is not virtual, it is for real. You chose it, you hold it and take from it what you want where and when you wish to, not hunched up in front of a screen. That relationship is our greatest asset."

Congratulations!

Tireless arrives at Faslane submarine base in Scotland

 The nuclear submarine HMS Tireless, which was repaired at Gibraltar recently, arrived yesterday at the Faslane submarine base on the Clyde, Scotland, says the ministry of defence.

  A Navy spokesman dismissed suggestions that the vessel was not in a proper condition to be carrying out sea trials off the west coast of Scotland.

  The arrival of the Tireless in Faslane confirms earlier reports published by us.

  The Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) fears that essential exercises which were never completed at Gibraltar will now be carried out at Faslane, the exercises were deemed to be too dangerous to carry out at Gibraltar.

  Scottish CND spokesman John Ainslie said: " While in Gibraltar, Tireless did not complete some of the normal routine exercises, partly on safety grounds because they would have to be carried out at the berth.  As far as I am aware full post-repair work-up exercises were incomplete when she set sail."

  Tireless should have berthed at her home port of Devonport in the south of England to undergo any trials and not go all the way north to Scotland, said CND sources.

  Naval sources have confirmed that Tireless is now engaged in a period of work-up (15.05.01)

GBC: Over £1 million a year in wages

GBC is costing the taxpayer in excess of £1½ million, of which over £1 million is in wages and salaries every year, plus perks.

The General Manager, George Valarino, earns nearly £50,000, and three others earn about half that amount, also in the General Manager’s department where the total wages bill is over £182,000.

The Engineering Department costs slightly over, with the Senior Engineer, John Tewkesbury, earning £37,261.

TV Production has the Senior Producer/Director, Joe Adamberry, earning £40,000 out of a total wages bill of £244,716 for 8 full-timers and 2 part-timers.

Radio accounts for £167,080, which includes nearly £34,000 for the Senior Presenter/Announcer, Richard Cartwright.

While Sales and Marketing is at the bottom of the list, with a total of £33,480, the Newsroom is at the top with over £295,000. The News Editor, Stephen Neish, gets £39,132 and there are six others who earn over £30,000. The Newsroom employs 10 staff and, additionally, are aided by staff from other departments.

Part-timers at GBC can earn over £12,000.

GBC has a complement of 38 full-time plus the part-timers.

The grand total in wages, salaries and perks is £1,076,188. To this must be added other expenses.

HUGE LOSS

The net result, year in year out, is that GBC makes a huge loss which is made up by the Government subsidy and the licence fee, all contributed by taxpayers’ money.

As a result of the much-trumpeted re-launch, which turned out to be another flop, another 6 employees were taken on.

The Government are now giving the impression of wanting to wash their hands of GBC, refusing to answer questions in the House. 

Recently, GBC asked for another £500,000. Opposition spokesman, Juan Carlos Perez, said that “the expectations on the revenue side continue to be zero”.

Chief Minister, Peter Caruana, said: “The Government are not willing to allow the costs of GBC to simply spiral upwards on an annual basis regardless of the commercial underline position. The Government have been left with no alternative but to fund this, as otherwise they just run out of money to pay people’s wages and to pay for the cost of last week’s television programmes.

The GBC re-launch, he added, has succeeded in delivering only the extra cost but not the extra revenue. This fact “will certainly cause the Government to revisit the whole question of GBC’s future”.

EXCLUSIVE: Lawyers revolt over legal aid fees 

Lawyers in Gibraltar are to remove their wigs and gowns to expose their inner feelings: That what they get out of legal aid must he reviewed upwards.

And the question is being asked if people get a fair trial as a result of the present badly-paid system.

"Persons charged with offences are being remanded in custody with little or no prospect of getting legal representation because essentially lawyers are being asked to provide a service with grossly inadequate remuneration," we are being told.

It is added that the present remuneration does not cover the usual overheads that lawyers have to meet in their offices.

Of course, not having proper legal representation in a criminal matter can be. in certain circumstances, a denial of a fair trial, rans the argument.

It is also noted that the European Convention on Human Rights, article 6, and the Gibraltar Constitution, protect peoples' right to a fair trial. 

So, what is going on?

Rates of remuneration for lawyers under the legal aid system for criminal matters has not changed since 1981.

What do they get?

Rates are contained in the Legal Aid (Fees and Expenses) Rules.

Examples of fees are, at a trial or committal in the Magistrates Court: the first 3 hours or part thereof is paid at the rate of £15 to £50 (that is, £5 to about £16.34 per hour) - and subsequent periods of 3 hours or part of them at the rate of £7.50 to £25 (that is £2.50 to about £8.34 per hour).

For trials at the Supreme Court the first 5 hours or part thereof is paid at the rate of £30 to £200(or £6 to £40 per hour) and subsequent periods of 5 hours or part thereof at the rate of £15 to £100 (or £3 to £20 per hour).

The point is made that some of these hourly rates are less than the statutory minimum wage.

Another point being used by lawyers in their defence is that the rules do not allow for any fees for necessary preparatory work, which sometimes is more time-consuming than the trial itself, beyond what is described as a "trial fee" of from £10 to £30 in the Supreme Court and from £5 to £10 in the Magistrates Court.

And for prison visits the first hour or part thereof is paid at the rate of £10 and subsequent hours or part thereof at £5.

'Boiling over'

The question of legal aid was made reference to during a magistrates Court case last week. It was said that a review was being considered, but lawyers take the view that it has been under consideration for a long time - and nothing has happened!

The question is now said to be on the verge of boiling over, with a lawyers 'revolt' on the cards.

Storm over another 'concrete monster' at Europort

The Government has found it necessary to come out today with a two-page Press Release in support of the go-ahead given by the Development and Planning Commission in respect of the controversial Europlaza housing development at Europort. 

It has long been argued by many that the needs of social and recreational necessities are being trampled over, with every inch of space in the reclaimed land being taken over by high-rise buildings.

When this government came into power the first thing they did was to stop a housing development along the shoreline behind Safeways and instead a recreational area was built. This was applauded by PANORAMA and others, who had long been critical of the intentions of the previous administration.

However, with the present government now backing the idea of Europlaza, questions are being asked if the decision to reverse the GSLP plan behind Safeways was done merely to try and score political points, and not as part of a general policy on development.

The government could have stopped another 'luxury' housing development had it now wanted to, it is being said, moreso now that the hospital is to be included in the same area. Having a large green area near the hospital would have been welcome in hospital planning, allowing for 'green breathing'. Instead, another 'concrete monster' is to go up - reaching to the sky for up to twelve stories.

It is being questioned what is the point of the Government having introduced new planning laws if when a sizeable number of people object to a given development such views are not taken heed of.

In their Press Release, the government says "it fully understands and supports the need to ensure an attractive living environment in Gibraltar," but then go on to do the opposite! It is as if there is no concern for the leisure and recreational needs of those of us who live in Gibraltar and not in Spain, said an aggrieved person, who also pointed at how the rest of the shoreline is being taken up by 'luxury' housing, such as in the Queensway Quay area, often for the benefit of outsiders.

Government Press Release in full. 

‘Cocaine’ Queen can be struck off register

Questions have been asked in the House of Assembly about the vessel ‘Barthon Queen’ which was recently arrested with 3 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated street value of £122 million.

Asked by Mr. Bossano if she was on the Gibraltar Shipping Registry, the reply from Transport Minister, Mr. Holliday, was simply, “No Sir”.

However, it later transpired that the vessel is, in fact, in the Yacht Registry.

The vessel, built in 1980, was registered on 7 July 2000, the ‘Certificate of British Registry’ being signed by Bruno Paul J. Gontaland Rosset de Greysier, the Registrar.

The owners are given as Bywater Ltd., a Gibraltar limited company of Hadfield House, Library Street. this nominee company was incorporated on 25 January 1999.

The vessel was arrested last month at the instigation of UK Customs when it was south of the Canary Islands. Spanish customs intervened.

Concern was expressed in the House that a Gibraltar-registered vessel should be involved in such activities. It was intimated that she could be struck off the Register.

Thumbs down over finger jetty

Concern is being expressed that an important condition on the Gun Wharf project next to Queensway Quay may be done away with, after the tender has been awarded.

The tender required the construction of a ‘finger jetty’ for the MOD, which is a costly affair which might have put off some prospective tenderers.

The argument being heard is that, in removing this major requirement after the tender was awarded, creates an unfair situation and that the project should be the subject of re-tendering making the point that alternative proposals to the jetty would be considered, thus giving everyone a fair and equal opportunity.

Questions were asked in the last meeting of the House of Assembly.

Dr. Garcia asked: Can Government confirm whether they have received representations regarding the Gun Wharf tender award and in particular over whether the Government have insisted on the construction of a finger jetty?

Mr. Azopardi replied: The first part of the question is insufficiently specific to enable it to be accurately answered. As has been indicated previously in this House, alternative proposals are being pursued which do not require the construction of a finger jetty.

Tireless support ship leaves Gibraltar

  The RFA Fort Rosalie, support ship to the Tireless nuclear submarine whilst on repair at Gibraltar, today sailed away.

  It was mid-morning as the royal fleet auxiliary vessel  left its berth in the South Mole and sailed out of Gibraltar bay, steering left into the Mediterranean...although it is not known if she changed course later!

  Fort Rosalie  was sent to Gibraltar at short notice after Tireless arrived here a year ago with a leak in its coolant system, which was subject to controversial repairs as people feared having a nuclear submarine repaired in a small, high-populated place like Gibraltar.

  Tireless sailed away last week on successful completion of the repair, and this morning it was the turn of Fort Rosalie, which was berthed next to Tireless during most of its stay here.

  Rosalie took with her a number of drums containing  contaminated waste resulting from the Tireless repair. (12.05.010 

Arrest in frontier incident

Two Gibraltar motorcyclists, returning from Spain, were involved in a frontier incident last night, said eye-witnesses.

  After they had passed the Spanish control, the Spanish police requested they returned.  Local immigration pointed out to them what the Spanish police were saying.

  One of the young men went back, apparently showed his passport, and was arrested.

  Seeing what had happened, the one still on the Gibraltar side went across rapidly and allegedly hit the Spanish police with his motorbike helmet. He then returned to Gibraltar where Gibraltar police took him away.

  The frontier area became a hive of activity, with people gathering to see what was happening. Police arrives. There was a commotion, which later subsided. (12.05.01) 

Gibraltar stands still for FA Cup Final

Gibraltar stood still this afternoon for the FA Cup Final, as football fans watched the match on television.

  There are many Liverpool and arsenal fans in Gibraltar, all of whom did not wish to miss the great event. Other football followers could not miss the final, watching at home, in bars and in clubs.

  With Arsenal having the better of the play, their fans were thoroughly enjoying the game, and after scoring, seemed all was wrapped up.

  However, in the dying minutes of the match Michael Owen brought it alive, scoring the equaliser and, then, the winner for Liverpool. It was now time for the Liverpool fans to feel overjoyed. It was Owen 2 -1 Arsenal.

  Prince Andrew presented the cup. Now, everyone is eager to watch the UEFA Cup Final on Wednesday when Liverpool take on the Spanish side Alaves. Liverpool can expect more support from Gibraltar! (12.05.01) 

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